Northampton graduate’s best-selling pocket-guide to leadership

After cutting his entrepreneurial teeth as a teenager supporting his father’s fish and chip shop, 30-year-old Adam Niazi is now a Corporate and Investment Banking Business Manager at one of the largest investment banks in the world.

His guide to leadership, ‘Becoming a Strategic Business Leader: The Ultimate All- In-One-Guide' was ranked 17 on Amazon’s Best Sellers in MBA Reference & Education.

Adam describes the book as a pocket-guide to leadership, adding: “The target market is really those who are eager to start their own business or become leaders in an organisation.

“They can use the book as a starting point and then move on to topics that really interest them.”

Adam admits, some eyebrows were raised by senior colleagues that a relatively young person would be able to add to the cannon of books on the topic.

He began the book after coaching a cousin through Strategic Business Leader module for the Association of Chartered & Certified Accountants (ACCA) exam who then referred fellow students to Adam who were also struggling with the module.

He said: “It started out as a zoom call, which turned into several hours followed by regular catchups to help him cement his understanding.

“When he passed, he said he knows others who needed help and asked if he could refer them, and it just snowballed from there as I condensed what I was trying to help them understand.”

Adam knew from an early age that he wanted to go into business and chose to study in Northampton as the course included one of the largest number of exemptions for the Chartered Accountant (ACCA) qualification which meant he would have fewer professional qualifications to obtain once he had graduated and found work.

He added: “And also, I realised the Business School was pretty new at that point. They had a shiny brand-new building, and I liked the idea of being able to study somewhere like that. I’d heard great things about the Business School as well, so I thought why not?”

Among others Adam cited Dalbir Khangura, Deputy Dean for UON's Faculty of Business and Law, as one of his most inspirational tutors who is continuing to support him, adding: “Dalbir was great, I think I can apply this to all lecturers there. Everyone was very knowledgeable; everyone was willing to help.”

Adam’s advice to those just setting out and struggling for direction is to do what makes you happy.

He said: “When I was at the university, I really immersed myself. I had four jobs, which is crazy while studying and I started a business while I was at Uni.

“So, I'd say to people starting out now, always do the things that make you happy, whether that’s something in your personal life or in your work life, and you will inevitably flourish and do well."

To find out more about studying at the University of Northampton, visit www.northampton.ac.uk or sign up for the Open Day on Saturday 20 January.